Rating: 
Summary: A great book for those cloudy nights!
Review: I received my copy of this book as an early Christmas present from one of my "stargazing friends". Even tho' I had glanced at this volume on bookstore shelves , I usually bypassed it for books on starhopping , star atlases , or other "hard data" type publocations. I now lament my earlier loss , and have truly enjoyed this very well written and extremely informative book.
The author , Timothy Ferris , takes us on a wonderful tour of the solar system and "near space" in the second section of the book ; he then moves on to the Milky Way and the wonders of gaseous nebulae , open star clusters ,globular clusters , and planetary nebulae within our own galaxy in section 3.
Finally , in the fourth section of the book , the author deals with the imensity of the universe (as we presently are capable of understanding it) by moving on to galaxies , and galaxy clusters.
But it isn't all about the wonders of the Heavens , for Ferris intersperses some entertaining anecdotal material as well. Starting with a personal tale of how he became a stargazer-astronomer to passages about Steven James O'Meara and his phenomonal visual observing feats while breathing oxygen at 14,000 feet on Mauna Kea. We are introduced to Barbara Wilson , a mother and former housewife who excells in actually "seeing" the faintest of astronomical objects.
This is a great book for amateur astronomers at almost any level ; the author manages to communicate his passion for the skies and the fine art of observational astronomy in a warm and entertaining manner. It is an ideal book for a frustrating evening when the clouds roll in as the sun sets , thus postponing the observing plans of the day.
I rated this book 5 stars and give it my highest recommendation. No real warts on this one!
Rating: 
Summary: So-so writing, good information
Review: I won't belabor the contents of the book, as other reviewers have already handled that chore. Ferris says a lot about astronomy in general, the solar system in particular, and includes several all-too brief visits with the amateur luminaries of today. Ferris has gained a great reputation as a science writer, mentioned with such talents as stephen j. gould, tracy kidder, alan lightman, oliver sacks - but it is hard to see how from this book. He harps on the theme with such a heavy hand, it seems he fears the reader will forget the value-of-the-amateur concept from chapter to chapter. And the writing is flat: consider this transition, one of the very few times Ferris actually tries to bring some color into his otherwise overcast phrasing - "...an elegant manor house at R.. proved to be made of rock fragments that were fused together in the impact fireball, 186 million years ago. The world was starting to look less safe, comets and asteroids less benign. The copestone of the arch of potential castrophe was laid on the night of ..." The "copestone"? I think Ferris might have been trying to force a weak tie to the manor building of old fused rocks, but it is hard to say.
Read this for the information, but make sure you set aside many short reading opportunities becase Ferris makes no effort to keep your interest in what could have been in more adept hands a fasciinating account.
Rating:
Summary: Birth of a Classic
Review: Once in a long while a book comes along that is destined to become a classic. Such a book is Timothy Ferris' "Seeing in the Dark". After reading, amateur astronomers will want to put this book on the shelf next to "Starlight Nights" and "Burnham's Celestial Handbook". Very inspiring stories of amateurs' accomplishments and successful amateur profiles spark the reader's own efforts in this hobby. The very numerous interesting and illuminating facts and factoids alone are worth the price of this book. The footnotes gathered at the back of the book containing digressions, asides, and background info are enough for a book in themselves. A must read for both those just getting into the hobby and long-time observers.
Rating:
Summary: Seeing in the Dark
Review: Seeing in the Dark: How Backyard Stargazers are Probing Deep Space and Guarding Earth from Interplanretary Peril written by Timothy Ferris is a wonderfully well-written personal account about astronomy. Stargazing in this book is more of the backyard amateur variety, however no less serious than the professionals. Interest has been on the increase due mainly to the internet. With internet communication amateurs can set their telescopes up and the computer can control the telescopes with computers making amateur astronomy more serious. The author has an easy going style of narrative and you can tell he loves telling a story about something he really loves. This is an infectous narrative bringing the reader into the subject as a participant; making the glories of the stars a part of your lives. Anyone can get started in backyard astronomy by just going outside with a star chart on a dark night and looking up. I remember many a warm Summer night growing up spending hours at night looking up and wondering about the starlingt and the millions of years that it took to get here. This book has a rekindling power to it and brings back those evenings for me. There are starcharts in the back of the book along with information about the closest stars and planetary information about the number of moons. What I found interesting about this book is a reading list which gives the reader something to further his/her knowledge, along with this there is a glossary of terms used throughout the book making for and interesting read. If you like popular science with a mentor guiding you along as he relates his past and enthusiasm this is your book, you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A match made in Heaven
Review: The match being that of science and poetry. The author writes about the achievements of amateur astronomers, giving a wealth of information about astronomy, stargazing, and amateurs, all of which is written in a language so beautifully poetic. It is a masterpiece. The love of the author for his topic is evident on every page and it is contagious. This is a book that will fill you with wonder, and probably sweep you off your feet and onto the nearest dark ground with a starmap in hand! Rich with information, written with passion, the book is fascinating, moving, and absolutely beautifully written.
Rating:
Summary: A match made in Heaven
Review: The match being that of science and poetry. The author writes about the achievements of amateur astronomers, giving a wealth of information about astronomy, stargazing, and amateurs, all of which is written in a language so beautifully poetic. It is a masterpiece. The love of the author for his topic is evident on every page and it is contagious. This is a book that will fill you with wonder, and probably sweep you off your feet and onto the nearest dark ground with a starmap in hand! Rich with information, written with passion, the book is fascinating, moving, and absolutely beautifully written.
Rating:
Summary: Astro-nerds take note...
Review: The publication of a new book by an author of Timothy Ferris' stature should pique the interest of most amateur astronomers. Seeing in the Dark is exceptional in this regard, since the book is all about amateur astronomers. Ferris, an avid amateur observer himself, has spent the last few years visiting some prominent amateur astronomers, following them as they engage in what amounts to sophisticated research (for free), going to their star parties, looking at their photos, and just generally learning their stories. Those stories are collected in his new book "Seeing in the Dark," along with Ferris' usual assemblage of science, storytelling, history, and culture. As usual, Ferris has a knack for sounding quotable, as in his description of a total solar eclipse. I've read countless accounts of the powerful visual experience of viewing totality, and Ferris ranks among the best in terms of capturing the raw mix of terror and fascination: "Suddenly the sky collapsed into darkness and a dozen bright stars appeared. In their midst hung an awful, black ball, rimmed in ruby red and surrounded by the doomsday glow of the gray corona. No photograph can do justice to this appalling sight: The dynamic range from bright to dark is too great, and the colors are literally unearthly. I staggered back a few steps, like a drunken man..." The amateur observers that Ferris highlights will be familiar to readers of popular astronomy publications: Jack Newton, Stephen James O'Meara, Don Parker, David Levy, and many more. But few have heard the anecdotes told here, of the personal motivations and triumphs of a handful of legendary sky gazers. There's even a conversation with Brian May, the lead guitarist for the rock band Queen. How many amateurs know that May has a college degree in mathematics and astronomy, or that Queen's little known but outstanding acoustic song '39' is about relativistic time dilation? There's a lot of good science in this book as well. The chapter on the moon contains a wonderful explanation of the tides on Earth, as well as the best summary I've ever read of the various theories about the "moon size" illusion that makes the moon seem huge when seen close to the horizon. Ferris' previous books have established him as a solid popularizer of science and he continues that tradition with Seeing in the Dark. It's an easy blend of history, science and personal experience that is a pleasure to read. I highly recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful audio book
Review: The stories told in these audio CDs are facinating, and have been amply described elsewhere. My comments are on the audio CDs themselves. First, Timothy Ferris has a soft, gentle voice that is perfect for reading his own material. It has a kind of fundamental pervasive understatement to it which makes some of the tales, such as getting observatory building advice from Clyde Tombaugh, the discoverer of Pluto, even more touching. It also adds to the subtle wit Ferris slips in every now and again. I drive only 8 miles to work, yet I found myself finding excuses to run errands on the way home so I could hear just a bit more of "Seeing in the Dark." My only complaint is that the producers of these audio discs made each disc one entire track! This is stupid. If you want to stop the audio CD in the middle to listen to something else, you have to note the time counter, and then when you reinsert the disc you have to fast forward to where you left off. Why the producers didn't at least put track breaks where the book has chapter breaks is puzzling. But don't let this put you off from this great audio book.
Rating:
Summary: Reading "Seeing" is Believing
Review: This book is a great reminder of how amateurs can (and do!) make significant contributions to the areas of their interest. It's very well written and Ferris does a terrific job of inspiring the reader to grab a pair of binoculars or pull out that old scope you have gathering dust in the closet and take a good long look at what's going on up there. It contains only a few star charts and some tables on objects of interest, so it is not meant as an introduction to using telescopes, etc. Instead, Ferris draws on his own experience and interviews serious amateurs who have made contributions to "professional" astronomy, and the result is an inspiration.
Rating:
Summary: Poignant Rock n Roll Astronomer
Review: This is a poignant and wonderful autobiographical book. As Timothy Ferris writes, for most of its long history, astronomy has been primarily an amateur pursuit. Like some of those lifelong "amateurs," quiet national treasure Ferris is an erudite Renaissance man and gifted writer with a wry and ironic sense of humor -- and one of the best popular science writers of his (boomer) generation (he is a master of analogy and metaphor). Meet these prominent amateur astronomers and follow their friend Professor Ferris through the solar system into deep space and, like me, you'll finally be out shopping for your own binoculars and telescope and finding the local amateur astronomy club closest to you (and then find yourself fighting light pollution). It might just be me, but, Ferris's delicate eloquence will bring you to tears, especially if -- even without your own observatory -- you too already live with the constant awareness that we're all living on a minuscule, fabulously beautiful rock spinning through an unfathomable solar system, galaxy, Local Group and expanding universe. Expect a good glossary, excellent index and helpful appendixes to start you in your own love affair with our universe. (The comic subtitle in part refers to the amateur astronomers watching for asteroids on collision courses with Earth.)
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